Simultaneous raids across Assam, Mizoram and Manipur have led to the arrest of 18 people and the freezing of 1,424 bank accounts, exposing hawala transactions worth nearly Rs 100 crore linked to an international drug trafficking cartel, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday.
The operation, codenamed 'Operation Trident', was conducted on October 23 to dismantle a transnational narcotics network operating across India, Myanmar and Bangladesh.
In a post on X, Shah said the coordinated crackdown had also resulted in the attachment of properties worth Rs 17.82 crore and the seizure of 500 detonators and Rs 12 lakh in cash.
He said the network trafficked narcotics through the "Death Triangle Corridor", connecting routes across India, Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Congratulating the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), central agencies and police forces of the three northeastern states, Shah said the operation reflected the government's commitment to eliminating drug networks by December 31, 2029.
"India will hammer until the last nail is driven into the coffin of drug cartels," he said.
๐ฏ๐ด ๐น๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ
Under Operation Trident, the NCB deployed 38 multi-agency teams to conduct simultaneous searches at 38 locations across Assam, Mizoram and Manipur.
According to a government statement, the operation targeted the financial and operational infrastructure of a major transnational drug trafficking syndicate led by Myanmar-based kingpin Thangcintuang, also known as Chintuang or Tluanga.
The accused allegedly coordinated the movement of methamphetamine and heroin through the Myanmar-Mizoram-Manipur-Assam-Tripura corridor into mainland India and Bangladesh.
He had been arrested in May this year following sustained surveillance and intelligence-led investigations.
The coordinated searches covered Aizawl, Champhai and Zokhawthar, a strategic border trading town in Mizoram, along with Churachandpur in Manipur and the Cachar transit corridor in Assam.
Officials said the operation was preceded by covert intelligence gathering, joint identification of targets and tactical briefings involving central and state enforcement agencies.
Despite difficult terrain and the geographical spread of the locations, searches, inquiries and financial audits were conducted simultaneously to prevent suspects from escaping or concealing illicit assets.
๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐น
Investigations uncovered nearly Rs 100 crore in suspected illicit hawala transactions linked to the cartel.
The findings prompted coordinated action with the Enforcement Directorate (ED), including the freezing of bank accounts and attachment of properties allegedly acquired through illegal activities.
According to the statement, financial profiling and digital forensic examinations revealed an extensive network of facilitators, shell entities and money mules supporting the movement of illicit funds.
The government said the operation was designed to strike both the logistics infrastructure and financial channels of the syndicate.
"In line with the Vision Document on Narcotics Control (2026-2029), the operation exemplifies the shift from a seizure-centric to a network-centric and financial disruption approach to uproot transnational syndicates," the statement said.
๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐น ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฑ
Officials said Operation Trident followed sustained investigations by the NCB, Mizoram Police and ED into the network's activities and financial connections.
Earlier phases of the investigation had led to the arrest of several alleged key operatives.
Cartel leader Thangcintuang was arrested from New Delhi in May following interstate surveillance and intelligence operations.
His close associate Vungkhanthawna, who allegedly coordinated the movement and delivery of narcotics consignments originating from Myanmar, was also arrested in May and subsequently detained under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
Another accused, Lalrampari, identified as a primary hawala operator, had been arrested by the NCB on August 8, 2024.
Abu Saleh, also known as Saifuddin, who allegedly managed the cartel's logistics operations through Assam, was arrested from Cachar on November 20, 2025.
The government said information gathered from these arrests helped investigators identify a wider network of financial intermediaries and operational facilitators, leading to the coordinated raids.
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Officials said the operation represented a broader strategy to disrupt organised drug trafficking by targeting its financial networks alongside the movement and distribution of narcotics.
The government statement said the multi-state crackdown was the result of investigations examining both the sources and destinations of illicit consignments, as well as the money flows supporting the cartel.
The action forms part of the Centre's narcotics-control strategy for 2026-2029, which places greater emphasis on dismantling trafficking syndicates and their financial support systems.